This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119 with respect to German Application No. P 100 01 575.1 filed on Jan. 15, 2000, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention generally relates to bearing retainer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for fixing at least one bearing in place in a bearing retainer and a bearing receiver for receiving a bearing.
German Offenlegungsschrift No. DE 198 05 237 discloses positioning bearings into a bearing retainer and fixing them in place by shaping the material on the front face of the bearing retainer. The shaped material covers a shoulder area arranged around the front face of the outer bearing ring, and in this way constitutes an interlocking connection between the bearing and the bearing retainer.
Although quite good results have been achieved with this arrangement, there exists a need for providing a fixation in place for the bearing in the bearing retainer, which is also laid out for extreme loads.
A need thus exists for fixing the bearing in place in the bearing retainer in such a way that it is able to withstand the highest axial loads over an extended and lasting time period.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method for fixing at least one bearing in a bearing retainer involves forming at least one depression in the bearing retainer for receiving the bearing, deforming a first partial area of the bearing retainer to compress material constituting the bearing retainer, positioning the bearing in the depression either before or after deformation of the first partial area, and deforming a second partial area of the bearing retainer located at an inside portion of the first partial area to form a connection, interlocking in the axial direction, between the bearing and the bearing retainer.
In accordance with the method of the present invention, a lasting fixation of the bearing in the bearing retainer is achieved by virtue of the material of the first partial area of the bearing retainer being compressed and the compressed material is thereafter shaped in such a way that an interlocking connection between the bearing and the bearing retainer is realized. The present invention is quite advantageous in that the connection between the bearing and the bearing retainer is quite solid and reliable.
Because the shaped material forming the bearing retainer is very highly compressed, it is able to lastingly withstand very high loads. Also, because the highly compressed material hardly yields under high loads, the bearing is prevented from making small axial movements, particularly under load changes. This thus helps prevent the connection between the bearing and the bearing retainer from being exposed to additional pulse-shaped loads which over time could also lead to a deformation or fatigue of the material constituting the interlocking connection.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for axially retaining at least one bearing in a depression formed in a bearing retainer includes positioning a bearing in the depression of the bearing retainer, and deforming a partial area of the bearing retainer to inwardly displace material forming the bearing retainer and form an inwardly directed projection that engages the bearing to axially retain the bearing in the at least one depression of the bearing retainer.
Another aspect of the invention involves a bearing arrangement that includes a bearing retainer provided with at least one depression and at least one bearing positioned in the at least one depression. A portion of the bearing retainer overlaps with a portion of the at least one bearing so that the at least one bearing is connected in an interlocking manner in the axial direction with the bearing retainer. The bearing retainer is formed of a material having an increased material thickness in the vicinity of the overlap, and the increased material thickness is formed by a two-stage deformation process.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a bearing arrangement includes a bearing retainer provided with at least one depression and at least one bearing positioned in the at least one depression. A portion of the material forming the bearing retainer extends inwardly towards the bearing to form a projection that overlaps with a portion of the bearing to axially retain the bearing within the depression.